Taking A Break

I have a lot of things that I want to talk about.
However, there are some things I need to work out theologically before I declare them boldly.
I'm going to bunker down and flush out then flesh out some more accurate revelation and doctrine. Thanks for coming this far with me. Coming up:

"Secret Gnosis"
"Why I Reject the Trinity"
"Why I'm as Righteous as Jesus"
"The Baptisms of Water, Spirit, Christ, and Fire"
"The Day of the Lord"
"The Tithe Myth"


To Be Continued...

The Estranged Children

The Reconciliation: Part 16



Jesus literally became sin and died so that we could become righteous and live. The reconciliation was not just about dealing with sin so we could “live better.” It was about dealing with sin so we could enjoy the Father again in living spirit. This is now our primary ministry, to bring all people into the body of Jesus. God is reconciled to men in Christ now our purpose is to reconcile men to God.

“Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
2 Corinthians 5:17-21

God provided everything to get His kids back. We just have to persuade His damaged children to walk through the door. While the enemy lies about our Father, distracts His children, and tries to offer Christian religion instead of reconciliation.

The reconciliation is eternal life; it is intimately knowing the Father and Jesus. God loved His estranged children so much that He supplied His perfect son, so that whoever rests “in him” will not be destroyed but instead enjoy intimacy with both Jesus and the Father. This is what I mean when I say true Christianity is not religion, it is relationship with our Dad.

Entering Christ

The Reconciliation: Part 15

Through the body of Jesus the Father used the law to triumph over sin, and resurrection to triumph over death. The reward of the ministry of reconciliation was creating the spiritual body of Jesus that had life and perfection. This is the Spirit of Christ we receive when we are born again.

Jesus is in perfect right standing with the Father. God is in Christ and completely reconciled to the world. As people come into Christ they are reconciled to the Father. In Christ we are resurrected and our new created spirit is one with his spirit. Our born again spirit literally is a new creation that is perfect and righteous. It is with our spirit (one with Christ) that we enjoy the Father.

The Father waits for us to bring more people into Christ, the new Tent of Meeting. This tent of our covenant has no barriers, no veil, no requirements, any can freely enter. You don’t have to change to enter Christ, entering Christ changes you.

PART 16

Peace on Earth

The Reconciliation: Part 14

Jesus’ ministry was the ministry of reconciliation. God was pleased to dwell in Jesus as He reconciled Himself to humanity with Jesus’ body. God was in Christ and reconciled himself to us now we can enter Christ and enjoy the Father. Jesus has become the new Tent of Meeting. He is the place that God came into and the place we are invited to come in as well.

Jesus dealt with sin once and for all, and God is no longer imputing sin against humanity during this age of grace. There is only reconciliation. God was at war with sin through the bodies of men, but at Jesus birth He declared “Peace on Earth.” God was not stating that Jesus came to bring peace among men.

Mathew 10:34
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.”

Even in Isaiah the Father was declaring this peace on earth:

Isaiah 40:2-3
“Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

And who was to declare this? John the Baptist.

Mathew 3:3
“ The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

God was declaring peace toward men from Himself. The war of sin between God and man was over. Now there is place where we can simply enjoy fellowship with our Father. Just like in the Garden of Eden there is a place where the Father dwells and He wants to enjoy us there. It is literally inside of Christ.

PART 15

It Pleased the Lord to Bruise Him.

The Reconciliation: Part 13

As we understand what was happening we understand Isaiah 53:

1Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
2For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

PART 14

Jesus the Serpent

The Reconciliation: Part 12

John 12:31-33
"Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die."

Some translations insert the word men after “draw all.” However, this is talking about judgment. Jesus knew when he was lifted up, like the snake in the wilderness (Numbers 21:9) he would in that moment draw the world’s judgment upon himself; speaking of his death.

He did this for the purpose of casting the prince of the world out. This event was going to finally reconcile the Father to his children again. He was going to be resurrected a new Adam with life in his spirit, with ability to resurrect the spirits of dead men. After, Jesus traps sin in the body of the Jews they sacrifice him on the Day of Atonement.

They didn’t understand but they weren’t required to. The system was in place. They laid their hands on him and transferred the caged being of sin into the body of Jesus then shed his blood. It wasn’t the shedding of blood or the pain in Christ that pleased God it was the reconciliation.

PART 13

A Jewish Cage

The Reconciliation: Part 11

Mathew 5:17-20 cont… Next, Jesus shows how he will fulfill the law and ultimately remove it. The key was to teach the full condemnation of the law. Why? This was part of the ministry of reconciliation. Jesus was using the law to manifest every single aspect of the being of sin. The law was the teaching of perfection and Jesus taught it perfectly.

Not like a normal man. A normal man would naturally interpret the law in a way that would unburden people and themselves from some of the harder teaching. Jesus doesn’t just deal with the physical rules of the law but he condemns the Jews in their souls; into the very motives and condition of their hearts.

And Sin came alive. As sin heard the irresistible teaching of Jesus’ law he walked right into the trap. The flesh of the Jews was the cage and law was the bait. Shedding the blood of sheep and goats could not atone for and remove the being of sin, but Jesus could.

It was not only Jesus’ perfect obedience to the law but it was the function of the law regarding sin that fulfilled its purpose. The law only spoke until John the Baptist, who marked the beginning of Jesus ministry. (Mat 11:13, Luk 16:16) The law was given to lead people to Christ then release them

Gal 3:24-25
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."

The ultimate purpose of the law was not for men to obey it. It was for Jesus to use it. Once Jesus was done with the law it was fulfilled and no longer necessary. It was abolished.

PART 12

Jesus Didn't Destroy the Law...He Abolished it!

The Reconciliation: Part 10

Hebrews 7:18-19
“For there is verily an abolishment of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope [did]; by the which we draw nigh unto God.”
Whenever I start to talk about how Jesus abolished the law the first thing out of a person’s mouth is, “Jesus didn’t come to destroy the law! He came to fulfill it.” That phrase is often followed by a satisfied grin as though I was put in my place. Well not only is this the most popular come back it also the most misunderstood. So let’s look at that verse in Mathew.

Mathew 5:17-20
“Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall by any means pass from the law until all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks(unburdens) one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (speaking of himself) For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it is written…”
Then Jesus teaches the full condemnation of the law.

If Jesus were to destroy the law he would be destroying word, the fabric of the universe. So he is clarifying he did not come to katalyō – destroy or disunite the law. He came to fulfill it. Why? What purpose is found in fulfilling the law? Keep reading. He says that until Heaven and earth pass away not one marking of the law shall pass away until all of it is fulfilled. I believe this is completely in line with what I discussed regarding the integrity of the word.

Jesus is saying there are only two ways to get rid of the law. First he could just destroy it but that would also destroy heaven and earth. If heaven and earth were to pass away then he could easily destroy the law; it would at that time have zero ramifications. So until the day that heaven and earth is no longer an issue not one jot or tittle shall pass away until all is fulfilled.

So to be clear Jesus is saying that when all of the law is fulfilled it can also be removed; while the integrity of the word, at the same time, stays intact. Though at first this verse feels like the perfect counterpoint to my teaching the end of the law, it is in fact my main verse to show how Jesus did abolish it. Fulfillment.

PART 11

The Shedding of Blood

The Reconciliation: Part 9

As sin would inevitably manifest in the flesh of the Jews it required atonement. This was a dispensation of judgment. Whenever preachers talk about God judging sin, and that God is a holy God and can’t be in the presence of sin. Though that is not exactly true during this dispensation of the law it was truer than ever. God was at war with sin through the Jews.

Prior to the law God fellowshipped with sinful people. Abraham did things that were against the law and never repented, but God called him His friend. Cain killed his brother and God still spoke with him and protected him. Sin is not imputed where there is no law. But when there is law, it is imputed. That is to say God holds it against you until it is removed.

God even gave them the mechanism to deal with sin when it did manifest; the shedding of blood. If a person lived a perfect life but at one point did let sin manifest in their body; all they had to do was shed their own blood in order to remove that sin. Once their blood was completely shed the sin would be considered removed and God could interact with their flesh again without judgment.

However, that would also kill the person. So, God instituted a sacrificial system. The Jews were given the ability to transfer their sin into the body of an animal. Once the sin was put into the animal it was removed from the person, but it still had to be dealt with. It required atonement or a balancing of the equation. Once it was in the animal you could shed the animal’s blood to bring death to that sin fruit. Once the blood was shed the person was again in right standing with the Father.

Sheep and goats could never deal with the being of sin only his fruit.

Heb 9:22 - “without shedding of blood there is no remission (release from bondage) of sin.”

PART 10

How to Manifest Sin

The Reconciliation: Part 8

If you want to see your enemy in order to kill them sometimes you have to smoke them out. The main reason the law was given was to strengthen and manifest sin.

Rom 7:8 - “But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence"

Rom 5:13 - “For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.”

Rom 7:8 - “For without the law sin [was] dead. (destitute of force or power, inactive, inoperative)”

1 Cor 15:56 - “and the strength of sin [is] the law.”

Understanding the purpose of the law will help us understand the purpose of Israel, sacrifice, and ultimately Jesus’ ministry. God chose the nation of Israel to be the mechanism of dealing with sin once and for all.

Before the law was given sin had no real grip over man. He was producing bad fruit in people and giving death access but without knowing exactly how to rebel against God he wasn’t able to really be utterly sinful. Once God gave the law to the Jews sin revived and manifested everything it possibly could in that people. Sin was trying to exact dominion on the earth through the law.

The other half of the Jews covenant was the blessings and curses of that law. God provided external carnal motivation for the Jews not to be completely destroyed in this process. Sin will always bring death. If they refused to let the fruit of sin physically manifest they received blessing, if they didn’t they were cursed. In essence the law was trying to manifest sin while the blessings and judgments were hedging him back.

PART 9

Dominion

The Reconciliation: Part 7 If God were to take back control of the earth then He would break His word, that Adam had complete authority. If He broke His word it would by default break the fabric that is holding the universe together. All of the created order including man would be gone. So, love constrained Him. Even though He was able and could “in His sovereignty” destroy His creation; He was not willing to lose us completely. Instead He determined to let us keep dominion as sin’s hostage, as He inacted His plan to get us back. Dominion is one of the most important doctrines to understand if you want the Bible to make sense. The fact that man was given dominion over, and was in essence the god of, this world is the reason Satan wanted to enslave us, the reason God’s Sovereignty is limited, the reason it took 2,000 years for Jesus to come, the reason Jesus had to come as a man, the reason WE must heal the sick and raise the dead. It’s the reason Jesus was able to do what he did. He had a flesh body from Adam (dominion) but not his corrupted seed (slavery). After the resurrection, “Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” He wasn’t lying. He did not previously have all authority, neither did the Father. Jesus stripped Satan of the dominion that he stole from Adam on earth and below the earth. Philipians 2:10 - "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; " When he was resurrected he appeared now with ALL authority. It is the reason Satan was able to offer it to Jesus during his temptation. All this to say God could not intervene. It was Adam’s planet and Adam let Sin and Death come in. Once they got inside they took control. So, how do we get them back out?

PART 8

Why Didn't God Stop Adam

The Reconciliation: Part 6





So why didn’t God stop this? I’m not going to take time now to clearly teach on the Sovereignty Myth. However, the simple answer is that God couldn’t. The earth was not God’s to have dominion over anymore. The door was not God’s to keep shut.



When God created the Heavens and the Earth it was chaos. It was formless and void and darkness covered the face of the deep (the abode of the dead). Then God begins to suppress chaos with creation. He makes light to subdue the existing darkness. He never gets rid of chaos and darkness He only creates order to subdue it. After He creates the entire perfect natural system He creates man and gives him authority to govern the entire planet and everything in it.



“God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”



The entire created order was made with word. If God were to make His own word void it would by default cause the integrity of the source of “word” to be void and it would no longer function. This would cause all of His creation to come apart.



Hebrews 11:3 “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”



2 Peter 3:7 “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”



Mathew 24:23, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:23: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”



Luke 16:17 “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.”


PART 7

The Slave of Sin

The Reconciliation: Part 5

When Adam sinned I believe what he actually did was open the door to let Sin come on earth. Once sin came in there was no getting him back out. Adam was under the control of a new master and this being opened the door for death to enter as well.

So when death came in it killed Adam’s spirit body (the body of death) in the process and severed Adam from God spiritually. When he died spiritually Adam lost that communion/connection, so God could then only deal with man through his flesh. This event changed Adam’s nature to then only have a living flesh body that interacts with the soul.

No longer having the source of Godly power from his spirit he was the slave of sin, his new master. The children born from Adam were born the same way slaves with dead spirits. We are born dead spiritually. Death then corrupts the soul and body. Eventually the body will die and then all that is left is the final death of the soul. Our slavery to Sin is something we are born into; it is our born nature.

Rom 5:12 – “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
Rom 5:15 - “through the offence of one many be dead”
Rom 5:14 – “death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned”

PART 6

The Beings Sin and Death

The Reconciliation: Part 4



I view Sin and Death as two beings. Though I understand that a sin can be viewed as an action, it is actually the fruit that a being has planted in your heart. Even though death is considered a state of being or an event in your life, I believe it should also be viewed as a being that destroys life.

The Hebrew word for sin (chatta'ath) is a noun (not a verb) and is used 296 times in the Old Testament.

Gen 4:7
“If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”

Or in the New Testament:

John 8:34
“Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.”

I don’t believe the being called sin is more clearly illustrated than in Paul’s description.


Romans 7
“For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew [me]… But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful… Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me… O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

The painting above is William Hogarth's version of Sin & Death. Though his depiction is not uncommon throughout art, theology, and history.

PART 5

The Spiritual Body

The Reconciliation: Part 3

I usually have a picture with my post. However, I can't find one that represents what I would like to say without also saying something else.

I view the spirit very much like the flesh. Instead of a carnal (physical/earthly) body the spirit is a spiritual body. I believe it has eyes to see and ears to hear and receives sensory knowledge from the spiritual realm.

I hesitate to use certain words trying to express how I understand things. Very quickly people think I'm referring to New Age ideas. Though I don't believe everything in New Age is incorrect (as if all of New Age could be gathered under a collective title) I believe in a tricotomy (3 part human) not a dicotamy (2 part). Most people only perceive the body and the soul so they consider their spirit and soul to be one in the same part.

The original design for man was that the spiritual sensory body (human spirit) informs the mind of man of spiritual truth. The mind tells the heart this information and the heart is affected emotionally by it. In return the heart gives motivation back to the mind to put the physical earth body into action. This was and still is the process of bringing God’s kingdom on the earth.

It is very organic. Very much like seed and soil. The heart is the womb or the soil for seed. When the spirit plants seed in the heart of a man sometimes it takes time, but if that seed is not uprooted, stolen, or choked out it will produce kingdom fruit in the physical earth.

This was the original design for Adam. If you can visualize this spiritual body and understand that it was the body that did die at the fall, then it will help you understand many verses we will discuss.

I also believe the spirit body is how we communicate with God. Not only does it receive information it converses in the spiritual realm. It is how we worship.

John 4:24
“God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.”

PART 4

Human Nature

The Reconciliation: Part 2

Everything that the Father did from the moment of the fall until Jesus, was the process of getting us back. To understand the reconciliation we have to understand how we were separated.

We are all very familiar with our flesh. From birth it is the only source of sensory knowledge we have. Everything we understand is filtered through our flesh and its’ pleasure is the primary focus of our lives. Basically when I say flesh I am referring to our 5 senses.

Our soul is what we use to understand this sensory knowledge that our flesh provides. We understand I’m hungry, cold, hot, ect. The soul is the inner part that makes us who we are. I view it as the place where our mind and heart dialog. The mind is our logic, it interprets the world and prepares a reaction based simply on the facts. It also relays the information to our heart.

The heart is our source for emotion. I view it as the most center part of a human. If information does not pass through your mind it will not reach your heart. And in order for your heart to respond and command your body to act it must convince your mind to tell your body to act.

But we were not always this way. Some of us today once again have the third part of our human nature alive and well…the spirit.

PART 3

Daddy's Home!

The Reconciliation: Part 1

I work 45 hours/ 6 days a week while attending night school with my wife. The moment I most look forward to everyday is when I come home for my 52 minutes of family time. Even though my car is loud (I have no muffler) I try my best to come up to the front door as quiet as I can. I am rarely ever able to turn the key before I hear the music to my ears.

“Daddy’s home!” my boys scream from the upper part of our split level house. After hearing the stomping of little feet I see Caleb, my oldest, turn the corner to face the staircase. Jake has now popped his head up over the back of the couch and is jumping to the floor. They run to the top of the stairs as I walk up. Anxiously waiting to jump into my arms and tell me about a day in the life of two small boys. I am more than happy to listen to every detail of their days as long as they will sit on my lap and let me hold them and smell their hair. Just being with them makes everything in life good.

God had that. He would come to visit Adam and Even in the garden during the cool of the day. He listened while they told Him about their new experiences. He enjoyed every second. Haven’t you ever wondered why he didn’t just scrap everything after the fall? Why not just start over? Because He was radically and passionately in love with us, and he was about to do anything it would take to get us back.

PART 2

Eternal Life is Not Heaven

When we understand the Gospel of Grace then we will begin to understand eternal life. We will understand that the purpose of God’s ministry through Jesus was not about saving us from Hell. It was about Reconciliation. It was God’s work to get back what He lost…us.

Acts 20:24
“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

The grace gospel is not only “the Power of God” but it is the “Gospel of Peace”. (Rom 10:15, Eph 6:15)
It is preached with signs and wonders not with wise words. (Rom 15:19, 1 Cor 1:7)
Any version of a gospel that is not the grace of Christ is false. (Gal 1:6)

Eternal Life is not going to Heaven, it is the Reconciliation.

John 17:3
“And this is life eternal, that they might know* thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

(*ginōskō – implies intimacy, used as the Jewish idiom for intimate knowing as in “Adam knew his wife Eve.”)

THE RECONCILIATION

The Gospel of Power?

Except out of obligation and the fear of Hell I could think of no reason a person would want to become a “Christian.” Every human is born with a sense of needing to reconcile with God. We are born with this internal knowledge that we must be better because he is not pleased. Every religion in the world is designed to help men reconcile themselves with God. Even my Atheist friends can’t avoid the human trap. They have simply created a theology that helps them deal with this internal problem by trying to remove the source. What?..I said it.

Paul says it this way.

Romans 1:16-20:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed ... For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”
We know this internally so we create religion to reconcile ourselves to God.

The gospel most people proclaim is a way for men to get out of Hell and into a congregation where they can struggle the rest of their lives. Wow, if that was God’s plan for us I would probably wait until my deathbed, and take my chances on not getting in a car wreck. What a worthless and impotent message.

Paul said the Gospel is the POWER for salvation – sōtēria - deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation the deliverance from the molestation of enemies. That is not the gospel I knew. The gospel I learned taught me how to medicate and manage the symptoms as the enemy molested me. Just wait for the sweet by-and-by where there will be no more tears.

That is not Power. That is not Good News.

ETERNAL LIFE

The Gospel of Hell

All my life I believed that the Gospel was basically that Jesus died for you, and if you would ask him into your heart you get to go to heaven when you die instead of Hell. However, while you are on earth you can’t drink, smoke, cuss, go to R rated movies, or have pre (or extra) marital sex. Any of these actions (among others) will take you out from “under the blood” of Jesus and until you confess that sin you can’t be in right standing with God. That is to say if you died with an un-confessed sin you would go straight to Hell.

This caused me to spend the majority of my youth thinking about not sinning. And as my mind was focused on not eating the forbidden fruit I was reminded of how good that fruit would be. I could practically taste it as I struggled to keep from eating. Eventually, I could no longer resist the “pink elephant” and did whatever it was I struggling against. It was as if sin had power over me.

After gorging and wallowing in myself I would always come to place of fear again. I would realize that I didn’t want to go to Hell and knew I needed to get back in right standing with God. As I got older these lines became more blurry, and I thought less about Heaven & Hell. Yet, even as I became insensitive to the whole process the pattern was the same: law, effort, desire, overpowered, wallow, grovel, repent, law.

This is the mentality and cycle of religion. This is not the “good news” this is the “old news.” This is Christians trying to be Jews; trying to obey the law for their righteousness. It is people trying to save themselves, or keep themselves saved, with will power. This is the human attempt to please God. It is not the Gospel.

GOSPEL OF POWER

the Gospel According to Josh

I am going to try to cover a lot of ground with the next few series. My main focus is to show the gospel the way I understand it.

I get in many conversations with people about Grace, God-Righteousness, Works, the Purpose of the Law, and how Jesus ended it. Many debates and long conversations over coffee have helped many and alienated others.

I’m ok with that. If I have expressed the truth and a person understands what I’ve said and rejects it, I have no control over that. However, I will keep explaining and talking until I’m sure you at least understand.

If I plant the seed of the gospel and a person doesn’t understand what I’ve said the enemy can steal that word. (Mathew 13:19) Understanding is what allows the seed to take root.

Having said that, I can’t exhaustively cover everything I want to talk about. There are things I will mention, sometimes only for a paragraph sometimes for two sections, that may be contrary to your beliefs. My purpose here is not to explain every detail of my theology it is to explain my lens.

I may say something that you initially disagree with because of what you have been taught. If that happens I encourage you to keep moving with me. Don’t let that be your hang-up. You may not agree with me right away but hopefully by the end you will see the benefit of adopting my lens and the doctrines that come with it.

If you are a much disciplined person and good at being a Christian in your flesh you will find this teaching to be very difficult. The people that reject this the most are people who believe their actions are pleasing God and don’t need grace. Blind fools! Isaiah exposed your flesh:

“But we are all as unclean, and all our righteousnesses as menstruation rags;”

Jesus didn’t come to assist you in righteousness; he came to become your righteousness. If you don’t understand that then you don’t understand the gospel.

GOSPEL OF HELL

Gospel of the Hebrews: The True Gospel of Mathew

The Bible is not the Word of God Part 7



Though we only have fragments of the Gospel of the Hebrews it has some insightful things to say. We find a reference to Jesus speaking with the rich young ruler. It explains why Jesus said what he did, while most preachers only speculate on the matter.


This particular Gospel was written by a Jew for the Jews. Most believe this Gospel was actually written by Jesus disciple Mathew. If so then this is the only gospel written by a person who actually walked with Jesus in the flesh.


Papias of Hierapolis, a second century bishop and author, states, "Matthew put together the oracles [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as best he could." In "Against Heresies" Irenaeus says, "Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome and laying the foundations of the church."
The Gospel of Mathew was originally written in Greek not Hebrew or Aramaic. Also, Mathew is not a translation of the Hebrew Gospel because the fragments we do have are not found with the same content in the book of Mathew. I believe the Gospel of the Hebrews is the true Gospel written by the Apostle Mathew. The only portions of this text that we have are preserved through the writtings of second century saits as they quoted this Gospel.

One of my favorite verses is found in this Gospel, speaking of Jesus baptism. This verse is perfect word picture expressing my teaching on The 3 Dispensations of the Holy Spirit:

"And it came to pass when the Lord was come up out of the water, the whole fount of the Holy Spirit descended upon him and rested on him and said to him: My son, in all the prophets was I waiting for you that you should come and I might rest in you. For you are my rest; you are my first begotten son that reigns forever.”The Gospel of the Hebrews
The Gospel of the Hebrews is quoted by Church Fathers: Jerome, Origen, Clement, Eusebius, Cyril of Jerusalem.

You can read the fragments here:

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/gospelhebrews-mrjames.html


Closing:

Allow me to clarify. I love the Bible. I use the Bible, and I am grateful that we have it. I have used it time and again to understand the truth that is in my spirit. In the same way the men of the past wrote the text that we have; if we are born again the word is in us and the Holy Spirit will guide us in ALL truth.

Text is a tool it is not the source. I hope changing people’s perspective of the Bible will increase the “relational” aspect of our relationship with the Lord and the Father through the Holy Spirit. I hope it will cause our hearts and minds to change their focus of a carnal book toward a spiritual person. Finally, I hope that removing some of the reverence for particular writings will give a person liberty to let the Holy Spirit guide instead of the men and canons of Church history or the modern day.

MY GOSPEL

the Book of Enoch

The Bible is not the Word of God: Part 6
An amazing non-canonical book is the Book of Enoch. It gets in to some pretty abstract things that require you to read between the lines.

Enoch is expressing what he witnessed to the best of his ability. We learn things through future revelation or science that explains what he saw. He basically describes our solar system as he is carried through it.

Enoch also talks about the “Son of Man” or “Elect One” who sits on a throne with the Father. This man will bring righteousness to the elect. He will cause the gentiles to repent and judge the living and the dead. Possibly up to 3,100 years prior to Jesus birth.

You may not realize it but many have already read from the book of Enoch. Not only did it shape the theology surrounding the New Testament regarding angels, demons, and the days of Noah, but it found its way into the book of Jude.


“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard [speeches] which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”Jude 1:14-15

“And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy onesTo execute judgment upon all, and to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict all fleshOf all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed,And of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”1Enoch 1:9

There is much to glean from Enoch. And with the context of Jasher we understand who Enoch was and how he was able to affect the ancient world to the degree that he did.

http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/enoch.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6eNRC-9HN8

PART 7

Apocrypha, Empire, and the Pagan Bible

The Bible is not the Word of God Part 5

Bibliolatry Limits Our Text:

Not only does bible worship diminish the worship of the person Jesus; it greatly limits the scope of text we would use for gaining revelation. There are many non-canonical texts with tremendous revelation. When we elevate and honor one medium for truth we will camp out there and exclude others. The Apocryphal books are at times viewed as evil but these texts were widely used by the early church. The book of Enoch shaped the language of many of the gospels. Anytime you read the phrase “son of man” Jesus is declaring that he is the one mentioned by Enoch.

The purpose of this writing is not to dive into the history surrounding the canonization of scripture. However that could be the most convincing argument against the text that I could present; perhaps at another time.

Consider that we didn’t have a canon until 325 CE and that it was by the persuasion of a pagan emperor (baptized on his deathbed). Even after the canon the church used the non-canonical books. The canon became a list of “safe books” for common people under the Imperial Church while the other books were reserved for the “mature.” Eventually the non-canonical books were banned and/or burned all together.

Apocrypha - (ἀπόκρυφα) those having been hidden away.

Yet in many of these books we find deep and meaningful revelation that is not found in the canon. Such as...

PART 6

The Writings of Jesus?

The Bible is not the Word of God: Part 4

There are 11 canons in accepted church history excluding any Gnostic canons.
Once you have isolated a canon, next you must determine a translation or Greek source text, since there are many. Though my Father-in-law may disapprove let’s use the KJV for the sake of conversation. Here are just a few issues.

1. What is the order of creation?
Gen 1:
vs.11 - Plants, vs. 20-25 - Sea and Land animals, vs. 26-27 - Man
Gen 2:
Vs. 7 - Man, vs. 8-9 - the Garden (plants & trees), vs. 19. - Animals

2. Who motivated David to disobey God and take the census of Israel?
2 Samuel 24:1 - God
1 Chronicles 21:1 - Satan

3. Joshua 10:13 – The sun stood still.
When did it start moving?
This is about showing error not interpretation. I understand they perceived it as standing still, however the literal text is incomplete therefore not inerrant or absolute by definition.

4. In the genealogies recorded in Mathew 1:6 and Luke 3:31 which son
of David continues the lineage of Jesus' apparent father Joseph?
Mathew 1:6 – Solomon
Luke 3:31 – Nathan

In Mathew, Solomon fathers an entire lineage not found in Luke until Salathiel.
Luke says Salathiel’s father was Neri, Mathew says it was Jechonias which agrees with variant spelling of Jeconiah in 1 Chronicles 3:17. Then the lineage deviates again at Zorobabel.

There are multiple other discrepancies in the genealogies of Luke, Mathew, and Genesis.
For example Cainan is not mentioned in Gen 11:12, or Mathew as the son of Arphaxad.
In Genesis 11:12, Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begat Salah
However Luke inserts Cainan between Arphaxad and Sala in 3:35-36.

Some say, “The Holy Spirit will never disagree with scripture?” Unfortunately, that is just an ignorant statement of Bible Worship. The only text ever written by the hand of God was done on Mount Sinai with Moses.

If He was overly concerned with us having a perfect text then why didn’t He have Jesus write it? I believe the reason Jesus did not write a known word is that he was focused on establishing our perfect reconciled relationship with the Father. If a person is connected to the source of all truth they don’t need a book.

PART 5

the Ministry of Control

The Bible is not the Word of God: Part 3
I would never base a doctrine on one single verse; even though Jeremiah 8:8 is in itself a conclusive proof for error. Either he is right and the Bible has error, or he is wrong and the Bible has error. I still would like to see more discrepancy in scripture than that. So let’s look at just a few of the tensions.

Before we begin, I understand that people develop ways to make these tensions fit. Men speculate and conjure possibilities that might allow Biblical conflict to be in harmony. The reason they try to make this puzzle fit is both Bible worship and control. The ability to call upon text gives men the power to rule over others through their interpretations.

Men (or women) who want power must have a source for their power. If they have none of their own they must convince people of a power source (the Bible) that they can manipulate (interpret). I don’t believe most “Christian” ministers are conscious that they are doing this. They are just part of the system and have never seen a reason to question it. Yet, if a person has championed the cause of scriptural inerrancy you have ask yourself a question. Why? What’s in it for them?

PART 4

The Bible Has Error

The Bible is not the Word of God Part2

The Bible has error – Jesus does not. The Bible is a fallible vehicle for information. Just like preaching, teaching, and prophesy. When a person preaches the content of God they always contaminate it to varying degrees. Their theology shapes the way they interpret that internal spiritual truth.

It is ignorant to believe a man can’t preach perfection under the influence of the Holy Spirit yet he can write that way. Unless the perfect man Jesus was here in his flesh we can’t know the spiritual things perfectly through our flesh. We won’t be able to know or express truth and word perfectly until we receive our glorified bodies and have no conflict with our flesh. Paul disagrees with the common orthodoxy of the Church and their canon; he admits he was unable to do this.

1 Corinthians 13:12
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

But you don’t have to take my word for it. (queue chime)

PART 3

Bible Worship

The Bible is not the Word of God Part 1

Jeremiah 8:8
"How can you say, 'We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us'? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes Has made it into a lie.”

Bib·li·ola·try: Excessive adherence to a literal interpretation of the Bible or excessive veneration of books

It is just a big word that means Bible Worship
I believe Bible Worship is detrimental for 2 reasons:
1. it diminishes the true worship of the person Jesus
2. it greatly limits the scope of text we would use for gaining revelation

It diminishes the true worship of Jesus because the Bible is not the Word of God. The perfect and infallible logos (spoken word), became flesh, dwelt among, died, was resurrected, sits at the right hand of the Father, and is now inside of us who are in him. Jesus did not become a book.

Many Christians prefer to have a relationship with text instead of the person Jesus and our Father. The written texts of Judeo-Christian history are a tool that we use to renew our mind; they are not the source of word. They are a historical writings that contain interpreted (filtered) revelation (uncoverings) of the true word himself.

Word is in our spirit if we are born again. Paul, for example, drew this word from his spirit as revelation knowledge and expressed this Pauline filtered content as text. We read what he wrote; as its truth unites with the word in our spirit our mind is renewed. Without word in our spirit (the source) we cannot have first hand revelation. Many people can read the text and get nothing from it because they have no source in their spirit.

PART 2

“gay bashing”

Drumming Out the Gays Part 5
I was recently forced to be in car with a group of “Christians” as they swapped stories and jokes about the gays. One in particular told of driving around their city. As they saw two guys walking and holding hands the driver would roll down his window to yell at them. They wanted to make sure these "homos" knew they were dirty, and needed to, “take a bath” among other things. This "gay bashing" was followed by approval, laughing, and then a fun conversation about why Obama is the end of America. I understand that these guys are ignorant and trained to be a certain way because of the church, but they still make me embarrassed to use the word Christian.

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

But how will they hear this message over the protestors. Or even over the conversations we have behind closed doors that shape our hearts and minds. Some believe that because you don’t picket a funeral you are not part of the problem. But if you contain the life and kingdom of God but dam it up inside of yourself you are the problem. As you release words and jokes you are not only spreading your disease but you are conditioning your own heart.

Stop trying to change the fruit of a person’s nature. Just change their nature. Or maybe you don’t know that message? Unless you understand your new and born again nature, created perfect, holy, and righteous, then all you will preach is flesh management.

That is the real the problem: “Christians” who are good at performing “Christianity.”


Side Note:

My good friend Joel Grumblatt pointed out that no one may understand the phrase, “drumming out the gays.” This phrase, at least in America goes all the way back to Gen. George Washington, and possibly before. If he found a homosexual in his army he would have the drummers and pipers play as the man was forced to leave the army and never return.

David Barton and his ministry Wallbuilders (properly titled) has been on the forefront of promoting Christian agenda in politics. It seems to be a shared and common vision to suppress individual rights in America for the Christian agenda.

But I digress. This is not a political blog.

http://www.wallbuilders.com/
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/abc-confirms-father-of-our-country-opposed-gays-in-the-military/


BIBLE WORSHIP

Hypocrites

Drumming Out the Gays Part 4





When the church picks this hill to die on against “the gays” all that it does is isolate a particular sin they dislike and make sure they (the gays) are aware it is sin… Give me a break. Do we honestly think they somehow missed that message? The reason they perceive the church as their enemy is because the church has made themselves their enemy. They feel hated because they have been hated. So Satan uses this intolerance to blockade them from their only source of freedom; the life in body of Christ. To preach intolerance is to isolate starving people from their only nourishment.


I "tolerate" all sin and all sinners. I’m not trying to get sin out of people’s life I’m trying to get Jesus in. A person has no hope of changing their heart without the source of life inside them. As “the church” speaks against tolerance and the “Gay Agenda” it may simply be stating that fact that God did not create perversion and that homosexuality is contrary to perfection; and I would agree. But what the world hears is “don’t accept them they are the enemy.”


Is homosexuality Godly or good? No, it is perversion and against perfection, but so is anything that is not the perfection of Christ. Anything used against its created purpose is perversion. Such as food and obesity. Should we be intolerant of that as well? Yes, if you are consistent in your intolerance.


In fact you should use the law and go on a campaign to show “the fats” the error of their ways. You should hold up the warning signs for them as well. They are going down a road of destruction. And you should do it with the exact same passion for intolerance that you burn with toward the gays. Instead we allow them to preach in our churches. They stand in the presence of the assembly openly obese and we tolerate it. Hypocrites.



PART 5

Born Again

Drumming Out the Gays Part 3


Does God make people gay? No, but what you are when you come out of the womb is not simply the creation of God. If it were then we would have to explain deformities and handicaps as the sovereign creation of God. I wholeheartedly reject the common understanding of God’s Sovereignty. (but that is another teaching) God forms corrupted flesh with Adam’s dead nature toward His best plan. That is not to say that what God has formed will respond to the corrupted world well.

The question for me is not why people are gay but rather, why aren’t you? In the end it is because it’s not in your heart. Every action you perform is based on the desire of your heart; everything from hugging your child to punching someone in the face. The desire of your heart will constantly dialog with your logic to produce physical action. It is why we overeat, get out of bed in the morning, or go to the gym. Either your logic will convince your heart toward or against an action, your heart will convince your logic, or they will agree. In the end it is often the heart that will produce action in your body. Passion and desire in the heart will corrupt logic and dominate it more often than not.

Those who don't act out in homosexuality have no (or not enough) desire creating action in them toward that particular sin. Why? Nurture: maybe you never had a homosexual experience release Dopamine in your body creating the desire to repeat the action. Maybe there have been enough external motivators to prevent your heart’s desire from manifesting.
Nature: the same reason you naturally gravitate toward things like music or sports. I never had to train my son to draw; Caleb just sees a piece of paper and follows the desire in his heart to create art. Why are people drawn by the desire of their heart to sin?

Because we were born that way.

Homosexuality is no better or worse than heterosexual perversion. Anything that is not the perfection of God's created purpose is perversion. We were all born with the singular desire for self gratification and sin because of Adam not God. What's wrong with stating that a person is born sinful, perverted, or even gay? Isn’t that why we must be born again?

PART 4

Does God make people gay?

Drumming Out the Gays Part 2



Sexuality is only the gratification of flesh not soul for those who aren’t born again. To truly make love and allow sexuality to be the expression of Godly desire in the heart one must be born again and have the fruit of love in their soul to manifest in Godly sex. Sex in the soulish and spiritual sense becomes a work of faith and spiritual fruit. Only after one is born again can a person experience godly sexuality. Any form of sex that is not this Godly sexual fruit is carnal (even if you are married). We are not intrinsically motivated toward Godly sex at birth. We are motivated toward perversion and self.

Am I saying that God made people gay? No, I’m saying every human is born evil. Depending on your nature and nurture that evil and carnal selfishness will manifest itself in a variety of ways. Why do some boys like music and others like baseball? Did God make them that way? To some degree yes, but it is more about an inclination rather than a specific desire. God does not put desire in a baby he establishes an ego-structure (internal wiring) in a corrupt human.

It would seem that some people are more prone to different sins than others. If I look at the difference between siblings this is clear. Two siblings can have a relatively similar, possibly controlling, nurture experience but respond very differently. Some might disobey their parents by hiding, manipulating, and lying. Wanting to be perceived as good while doing the things they truly want to do.

In my life I rebelled to my parents face. I fought and disobeyed openly. Why? Because, it is who I am. I was formed differently in the womb than my sisters, and my genes combined in ways that were unique. Did God make me rebellious? No, he may have made me strong willed and confrontational for the good purpose of my calling but through the perversion of life, flesh, and the world I gravitated toward rebellion.

PART 3

Born Gay

Drumming Out the Gays: Part 1
"Are People Born Gay"
The basic position of the evangelical church is that no one is born gay. Homosexuals are created heterosexual by God and then over the course of their life they desire then choose the same sex.

The first problem with this statement is the assumption that God made them heterosexual. The fact remains that people are born of the nature of Adam. Use the example of a two year old; humans are born selfish and carnal. We are born with no life in our spirit and no inherent Godly desires just propensity to gratify self. Any Godly desire that forms in a child is developed through nurture. Through the Jews and Christianity, God injected a corrupt humanity with His effectual kingdom.

I believe God forms a child in the womb with the intention of what role they would fulfill in His kingdom. Until the time comes when that child is born again (and even beyond that point of regeneration) the child’s flesh living in the world is in a constant state of corrupting that child’s heart.

Gen 6:1
“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually.”

Gen 8:21
“I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart [is] evil from his youth;”

Prov. 4:23
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life.”

Jeremiah 17:9
“The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?’

For the unregenerate the issues of life flow from their continually evil and desperately wicked heart; from the point in their life were they are self aware until they have the capacity to change that heart.

PART 2

Jesus' Ministry of Condemnation

Quit Quoting Jesus, He Was a Legalist Part 5

Understanding the two-part ministry of Jesus is critical to understanding his words. Everything he taught either falls into law (the Mosaic Law - Jew's covenant) or kingdom (the kingdom of God - new covenant). The law was taught for the Jews to understand the full condemnation that was in their law that would soon end; kingdom was taught for the Jews to understand the Church Age that was soon to come.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus nearly always taught kingdom in parables, unless it was taught to the “inner twelve” disciples; then it was explained. Chapters 14, 15, and 16 of the Gospel of John give us great understanding about the things of the kingdom. They looked forward to having the Holy Spirit dwell within them in their dispensation; today we acknowledge that it is a present reality. Everything in Jesus’ ministry is past tense for us; he was always promising things to come that are now here.
For example, the Lord’s prayer is not for us; it was for the Jews. “Let your kingdom come”; “forgive us”; “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us” – none of these things apply to us today because Jesus accomplished his ministry.

Everything Jesus said must be looked at through the lens of understanding his ministry and how the Holy Spirit functioned in his dispensation. Just because Jesus said it, it does not mean it is for you. The only way to understand the teachings of Jesus is to first understand the gospel. The gospel is revealed by the Holy Spirit and declared by participants in the Church Age. They revealed our present reality. With that lens, we can go back and observe what Jesus said to the Jews and glean truth from it once we have interpreted it through grace.

Jesus’ ministry was to draw out the full condemnation from the law and then draw that condemnation into his body. He used the law to bring every ounce of sin to life in the Jews, to bring it to their flesh and contain it with fear. The law was the cage for sin in the flesh of the Jews. Jesus used the law to capture sin so that he could put it in his own flesh. He bore the being of sin in his body. He became sin; then the Father judged sin in his body with a violent death.

This was one purpose of the law – to be a mechanism to revive sin and bring him into the flesh (the physical realm) in order to deal with him in the flesh. The other purpose of the law was to show humanity its inability to be holy and in right standing with God. It exposed our condition and need for a savior.

It was a violent pressing for the Jews to transition with Jesus and enter the kingdom. For us, now we simply believe – rest.

BORN GAY

The Dispensation of the Olive Branch

Quit Quoting Jesus, He Was a Legalist Part 4:

All of the canonical Gospels account of Jesus’ baptism and collectively state that the Holy Spirit of God descended upon Jesus in the bodily form of a dove and remained. The dove is a very specific symbol of the Holy Spirit. Not only is this a personal revelation from reading scripture, but God gave us this symbolism of the dove in the Old Testament for the very purpose of showing us its three dispensations.

“Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters [were] on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth [was] an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.” [Gen. 8:8-12]

First, the dove was sent out and found no rest on earth because of the judgment and returned. Second, the dove was sent out and came back with an olive branch. The olive branch is considered throughout history – and was specifically for the Jews – a symbol of peace. Even today we use the phrase, “Extend the olive branch of peace.” Finally, the dove was sent out and did not return.

God wanted us to see these distinct dispensations so that we would understand Jesus’ ministry of the olive branch. His ministry was specific and transitional. It was the ministry of bringing peace between God and man and setting aside the judgment on the earth. It was the ending of the old and the birthing of the new.

PART 5

The 3 Dispensations of the Holy Spirit

Quit Quoting Jesus, He Was a Legalist Part 3



I believe there are three distinct dispensations of the Holy Spirit on earth. Prior to Jesus, the Holy Spirit would come upon a person for a specific purpose and then leave. It could not remain [1 Sam. 16:13-14; Psa. 51:11; Exodus – building the tabernacle]. The Holy Spirit was not able to rest on or with men. He was constantly moving; coming and going.

Jesus was the first man on which the Holy Spirit remained. The Spirit rested with Jesus for his entire ministry [Jhn. 1:33; Mat. 27:46; Psa. 22:1] and worked through him to bring about the reconciliation (peace on earth). After the ministry of Jesus was completed, the Spirit returned to the Father and was sent one final time on the day of Pentecost. Now in the Church Age, the Holy Spirit remains with us and in us until the end of this age. [Jhn. 14:16]

It wasn’t God that changed; the thing that changed was who was participating in the dispensation. The Holy Spirit was able to work differently with Jesus and now with us than he could with unregenerate men. The Holy Spirit could not rest and remain on men before Jesus. Jesus was the Holy Spirit’s rest.

“And it came to pass when the Lord was come up out of the water, the whole fount of the Holy Spirit descended upon him and rested on him and said to him: My son, in all the prophets was I waiting for you that you should come and I might rest in you. For you are my rest; you are my first begotten son that reigns forever.”
The Gospel of the Hebrews

PART 4

Dispensationalism

Quit Quoting Jesus, He Was a Legalist Part 2

Technically none of Jesus’ teaching is for us. Let me explain.
We have to understand the dispensation of his ministry to understand his words. Jesus’ ministry was not a ministry to the church; it was to the Jews. In fact, Jesus would not minister to the Gentiles except for a few rare occasions. Some people don’t know what “dispensational theology” is, and even some have been taught to reject it.

Dispensation: a system of revealed commands and promises regulating human affairs.
Some of the church has taught against dispensationalism based on the premise that “God does not change.” If God does not change, He cannot act distinctly different with humanity over time and be true to his word. This is one of the fundamental premises in theology that cause Christians to mix the Old and New Covenants into one hot mess. So, how does dispensational theology correct this error?

Let’s look at the American dispensation. The American government relates to the people through a constitution, bill of rights, congress, judicial system, etc. These dispensational elements do not apply in the same way to illegal immigrants or foreign visa holding visitors, as they do to American citizens because they are not part of our dispensation. We generally send them back where they came from –back to their dispensation. So what changed? The government did not change; the thing that changed was who was participating in the dispensation.

PART 3

“And if your right hand causes you to sin, use the left"

Quit Quoting Jesus, He Was a Legalist Part 1

For most of my life in church, sermons consisted of something Jesus said about living better and holy, followed by a proof-texting of some obscure or misunderstood teachings from the apostle Paul. The thinking was that if Jesus said it, then we should do it. While this may sound good on the surface, I’m afraid it is not correct.

The problem with the Red Letters: Matthew 5-6
How do we deal with the teachings of Jesus in light of grace? After all, many of his teachings sound harsh: “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.” [Mat. 5:30] Some believers of the true gospel want to argue the context of those scriptures and try to find a way to harmonize them with the teachings of Paul. If you don’t see the apparent conflict between Jesus and Paul it is because you don’t understand grace.

However, the problem with relying strictly on context is that you must approach every verse on a case by case basis. For example, if your argument is that Jesus was talking to Pharisees, then that is not completely accurate. Most of his teachings were given to a mixed crowd. Disciples and Pharisees were generally both there at his sermons.

Some would argue that Jesus was teaching the law to the unregenerate Jews. The problem with this is that everyone who participated in Jesus’ ministry was an unregenerate Jew. So then, how do you distinguish what teaching was for the Jews and what is for us today?

PART 2

Jack Studs, Headers, & Blood

Faith is Not a Substance: Part 8

After hearing my co-worker’s statement about faith, I explained that I didn’t think it was right. I then took him to a doorway we were framing and correlated the jack studs and header to faith. I explained how this is the Hebrew definition of faith. The header is resting in the support of the jack stud. It is doing no work of its own and that is the only way it can function properly, in rest.

"faith in his blood"
Romans 3:24-25
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”


It is specifically the position of faith in his blood given to us as a free gift. Faith – the post holding up the header of a doorway in the blood of the lamb. This is a picture of the atonement and how we are justified; how we escape death. Faith in the blood of the perfect lamb.

I'm not sure why I didn't make the connection right away but it took a good friend of mine, Rafe Young, and the Holy Spirit to make all of this come togethor. I believe everything in the Old Testament (specifically regarding Israel) is designed to show us different aspects of Jesus. This is called Typology or Types and Shadows. Generaly in a word picture or story we see an example of Jesus character or form of deliverance.

Sitting in a Sunday morning church service in Franklin TN Rafe started speaking about the Passover event of Israel's exodus. As he was talking about putting the blood of the lamb on the post and lintel the Holy Spirit hit me like a ton of bricks. Something that I thought was weird for most of my life became crystal clear. This was one of the few times I was brought to tears.

Exodus 12:5-13
“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take [it] out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike [it] on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; [and] with bitter [herbs] they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast [with] fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. thus shall ye eat it; [with] your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it [is] the LORD'S passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I [am] the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye [are]: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy [you], when I smite the land of Egypt.”

JESUS THE LEGALIST